Boston Celtics: Kyrie Irving expects fans to show love for Isaiah Thomas

Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving knows how much Isaiah Thomas gave to Boston and expect fans to shower him with love in his return to TD Garden.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas will have to wait till February to play against his former team, but current Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving still expects fans to show much love when he returns to the TD Garden on Wednesday night.

In a matchup that already has a lot of intrigue following the blockbuster trade that swapped the two stars prior to the season, Thomas has added to the drama by criticizing Danny Ainge and the Celtics medical staff.

Still, Irving acknowledged what Thomas did for the city of Boston and expects an emotional moment when the team honors him in his return.

"“That guy put on some performances, epic performances,” Irving said, via ESPN. “And, for the city of Boston, what he gave on a consistent basis, you were just wondering how that tough-nosed [expletive] was just getting it done every single night and demanding from his teammates and playing with an edge that really cemented himself as a premier player in this league.”"

Not only did Isaiah Thomas play through the death of his sister Chyna, he showed physical toughness in playing through a broken tooth. He also played through hip issues that ultimately ended his season in the Eastern Conference finals. That same hip injury has sidelined him so far this season.

Thomas is set to make his Cavaliers debut on Tuesday, but will sit out the following night when Cleveland comes to town.

Another shot at LeBron

While there will be no Isaiah Thomas on Wednesday, Kyrie Irving and the Celtics are looking to avenge the Opening Night loss to LeBron James and Cavaliers.

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In that game, Cleveland not only defeated new look Celtics, but it was that game which saw Gordon Hayward suffer a gruesome lower leg injury. Boston went on to win 16 of their next 17 games and now sit atop the Eastern Conference at 30-10.

Despite success, Irving knows the Cavaliers present a challenge and knows they stand in the way of the team making it out of the Eastern Conference. After coming back down to earth a bit, mainly due to a heavy-loaded schedule and injuries, Irving feels the team is bouncing back at the right time.

"“Except missing another franchise cornerstone [Hayward] that’s still cheering us on,” Irving said. “But in terms of the guys that are available, just I feel like we’re founding out at the right time in terms of getting healthy and getting back into the swing of things.”"

The Boston Celtics look to extend their current win streak to four games when Isaiah Thomas and the Cavs come to town.

Next: The 5 faces of the Boston Celtics: The coach, the stars and the future

Highlighted in this current winning streak is a 26-point comeback victory over James Harden and the Houston Rockets.

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